40 Oz. To Freedom - Sublime (Punk) > Reviews > A Classic Debut Album

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	Flawless
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Outstanding
Value for Money

Advantages:	Great lyrics, melody, instrument - playing, DJing
Disadvantages:	Bradley isn't alive to make any more great music

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The first I heard of Sublime was their 1996 self-titled album; I bought it after it was recommended by some friends. Since then, I have become a massive fan, adding all their albusm to my CD collection. If I was asked which Sublime album was the best, I would find it hard to choose. They are all so consistent and Bradley Nowell was a very gifted songwriter and lyricist, adding raw melody and dry wit to his vast collection of songs. However, if I had to make a choice, I would go with Sublime's debut album: 40 Oz To Freedom.

Sublime played a vast range of styles, from reggae to hardcore and 40 Oz is no exception. Every track is full of melody, great lyrics, and very talented musicianship. Eric's fantastic bass-playing, Bud's various rhythms, Marshall Goodman's slick turntablism, and Brad's powerful vocals all combine to form the band's sound.

Track-By-Track Review:
***** - Blinding
**** - Excellent
*** - Very Good
** - Satisfactory
* - Bad

Waiting For My Ruca:

- This is a short bassy intro song with low vocals and a slow rhythm ***

40 Oz. To Freedom:

- A Sublime classic with a distorted chorus and chilled verses. *****

Smoke Two Joints:

- This is a cover of a Toyes song about the joys of the cannabis plant. I personally think that the Sublime version is superior to the original, despite the lack of all the original's lyrics. *****

We're Only Gonna Die For Our Arrogance:

- A storming cover of the classic Bad Religion song performed with a ska-infused intro before it breaks into the hardcore-vocals and distortion guitar. ****

Don't Push:

- A reggae Sublime song with great bass and dub-infused parts. *****

5446 That's My Number / Ball And Chain:

- Two songs in one! The first, a cover of a reggae classic and the second, a Bradley Nowell original, both blend together in an upbeat, catchy, reggae rhythm. ****

Badfish:

- One of my most favourite Sublime songs of all time. An emotionally charged song with brilliant vocals and an excellent solo. *****

Let's Go Get Stoned:

- A trippy dub song with great samples and master guitar-work. *****

New Thrash:

- Another hardcore-punk song with fast guitars and drums ***½

Scarlet Begonias:

- A ska cover of an old Greatful Dead song with funny lyrics and an upbeat, fun chord pattern. ****

Live At E's:

- Another great song with Eric trying to freestyle! ****

D.J.s:

- A classic Sublime ska number which samples The Specials' "Rudi A Message To You". Absolutely brilliant *****

Chica Me Tipo:

- A slowish song written in Spanish. For the lyrics in English, read the inside booklet

Right Back:

- A slow song about “keeping that higher ground”. ****

What Happened:

- A great party song about getting too drunk and not being able to remember the night before. *****

New Song:

- One of the songs Brad wrote about his heroin addiction, emotionally charged and powerful. *****

Ebin:

- A ska song about having a friend slowly change into someone different. ****

Date Rape:

- A humourous song about a rapist getting his comeuppance. *****

Hope:

- An old Descendents song covered by Sublime. A bit faster but not much different from the original. ***

Krs-One:

- An acoustic tribute song to the influential hip-hop master. *****

There are also two secret tracks, “Rivers Of Babylon” and “Thanks Dub” that are both excellent.

All in all, 40 oz is a fantastic album that should be in any music-lover’s collections especially if they like ska, punk or reggae.